Oberheim Electronics

 

Founded by Tom Oberheim in1973, Oberheim Electronics originally manufactured effects devices and was briefly a dealer for ARP instruments. It was in response to customer questions that Oberheim developed products like the DS-2, one of the first digital sequencers. They went on to create the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM ) to help as a backup  synth connected to the sequencer, or to  fatten up the sound of existing mono analog synths. Oberheim's subsequent 2, 4 and 8 voice polyphonic synthesizers were all based on this module.

 

Renowned for the warmth and thickness of their oscillators and smooth filters, other notable Oberheim's include the OB-1 (monophonic), the OB8, the Xpander the the Matrix-6, Matrix-12, the Matrix 1000, the OB12, their DMX drum machines and the OB3, an expander designed to recreate the sound of the Hammond B3 organ.